Qld CSG booms as NSW shuts the gate

A BOOMING gas sector in Queensland is now employing almost 30,000 people with new statistics suggesting the state is benefiting from rivers of cash while New South Wales has successfully held off industry advances.

When the LNP won power in Queensland at the 2012 election, it swiftly installed a policy of “co-existence” between agricultural lands and the gas industry in an effort to stop tensions from bubbling out of control.

In NSW, however, a determined community battle against the encroaching and invasive gas drilling has proved a powerful deterrent to the government, which has backed the Opposition and imposed heavy restrictions on where gas operations can be developed.

An anti-CSG rally in Lismore drew more than 7000 people last year. Doug Eaton.

The latest figures were released by the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association on Tuesday afternoon.

In Queensland, the industry employs 4664 people as staff and another 24,784 as contractors.

There are 4842 gas wells now operating and companies have pumped $110 million into communities where they operate.

NSW has 230 gas wells, a total of 210 employed in the industry and communities have scored $887,000 in donations, about 1% of what has been paid in Queensland.

In the past three months, 122 jobs were lost from NSW’s industry.

NSW is expected to face a major gas shortage within five years due to the lack of development in this area, forcing it to rely on supplies from other states for which it will pay a premium.